Rolex becomes official Formula 1 timekeeper from 2013

Luxury watch making brand Rolex will become the official Formula 1 timekeeper from the 2013 season, it was announced on Wednesday.

As a result of the deal, the Rolex logo will appear around the circuits and at several corners during Formula 1 races.

In a statement, Rolex said its presence in Formula 1 is "due to develop over the coming seasons".

The new partnership means the Swiss company also becomes the official timepiece to the sport.

Formula 1 had signed a multi-year deal with LG in 2008 as its technology partner. LG's logo featured on F1's live timing system.

"Without question Rolex is the partner of choice for a world class sporting series like Formula 1," said F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone.

"The brand's prestige, the excellence of its watches as well as Rolex's passionate and long-standing commitment to motor sports gives it true credibility.

"This partnership is something that many people interested in Formula 1 will have been waiting for and should rightly be excited about. Rolex has incredible sporting heritage and therefore Formula 1 is the right place for Rolex to be."

I am really surprised that such a classy and carefully curated brand like Rolex wants to associate itself with one of the most tainted sport in the world.

However, they have been on the back foot of sponsorship unlike Hublot and Richard Mille which are companies that have managed to clinch on to very lucrative athletes such as Usain Bolt and F1 Drivers. I guess Rolex are now willing to stretch their brand a bit by not exclusively sponsor "clean" sports like Golf and Tennis or legends like Tiger Woods or Roger Federer but perhaps ride the success of up and coming athletes.

they did sponsor Golf when Tiger woods was going through all the shit didn't they, or support Tour de france while lance was riding???

besides, how F1 is tainted??? every sports is tainted by something ... it's part of the game, good and bad makes a sport entertaining.

Well F1 has pay drivers like Maldonado and Senna, Bahrain Grand Prix, Bernie's foot in mouth syndrome, S&M, bribery scandals and what have you. Obviously I am not naive to say that there are many sports out there that are clean but this is quite a big departure from golf tournaments, polo, equestrian and tennis. However, F1 is a swimming pool of money and they will not be able to sell watches at F1 racing events and on the website.

Now when Lewis Hamilton is leaving the clasps of Tag Heuer and Mclaren, they could possibly endorse him now that they are in F1.

Probably not, I suspect that Rolex want to take over motorsport sponsorship one series at a time. They have the podium at Le Mans covered, they are the title sponsor of the Daytona 24h, F1... maaaaaybe a somewhat logical step.

Hmm. Am i the only one who sees the 'problem' that they even have sponsors only for the upper class? Rolex has this stereotypical super-duper-status which f1 more and more wants to be moneywise and which i can't identify myself with. Maybe I'm interepreting too much though.

Who is responsible for Live Timing on Off. F1 site? I just hope that it is going to be clean. This year, and I am not sure if LG was at fault at all, there were some weird gapses with that screen on my notebook during a race, which really were NOT APPRECIATED!!

Who is responsible for Live Timing on Off. F1 site? I just hope that it is going to be clean. This year, and I am not sure if LG was at fault at all, there were some weird gapses with that screen on my notebook during a race, which really were NOT APPRECIATED!!

FOM, and live timing has been broken for ages. I don't think anyone cares...

I am really surprised that such a classy and carefully curated brand like Rolex wants to associate itself with one of the most tainted sport in the world.

However, they have been on the back foot of sponsorship unlike Hublot and Richard Mille which are companies that have managed to clinch on to very lucrative athletes such as Usain Bolt and F1 Drivers. I guess Rolex are now willing to stretch their brand a bit by not exclusively sponsor "clean" sports like Golf and Tennis or legends like Tiger Woods or Roger Federer but perhaps ride the success of up and coming athletes.

I'm not quite as surprised. It seems a sizeable part of their clientele these days consists of stereotypical nouveau-riche who don't really care about watches in general, but just like to show off their golden rolex because that's the brand most people associate with luxury watches. They're still very fine and precious time-pieces of course, but they're not really among the high-end swiss luxury brands anymore, and I get the sense that their strategy isn't to be that super high end exclusive type of brand that is revered within the scene. There are a couple of other brands here in CH that fill that position in the market. In that sense an F1-deal does make some sense.

Anyone else find the plain and old-fashioned green color with the equally plain yellow and a ridiculous crown on it slightly embarrassing for Rolex and F1? It's as if the top sport was kept time by an old gent with a wrist watch, not something modern and relevant that one expects from F1. Rolex really needs to update their logo, at least where F1 is concerned. The way it is now looks silly, especially when it is plastered all over like it was in Melbourne. Rolex ought to take a leaf from Jaguar, even their road cars have joined the new century style wise now. Old is not necessarily the best Rolex.

Anyone else find the plain and old-fashioned green color with the equally plain yellow and a ridiculous crown on it slightly embarrassing for Rolex and F1? It's as if the top sport was kept time by an old gent with a wrist watch, not something modern and relevant that one expects from F1. Rolex really needs to update their logo, at least where F1 is concerned. The way it is now looks silly, especially when it is plastered all over like it was in Melbourne. Rolex ought to take a leaf from Jaguar, even their road cars have joined the new century style wise now. Old is not necessarily the best Rolex.